SETTING THE SCENE
Date: Dec. 6, 2014
Location: Normal, Ill.
Kickoff: 1:00 p.m. CT
Stadium: Hancock Stadium
Stadium Capacity: 13,391
Series: UNI leads 20-11
Watch: ESPN3
THE GAME
For the first time in 15 years and just the second time in school history, No. 5 national seed Illinois State (10-1, 7-1 MVFC) will host a home playoff game, when the Redbirds welcome in a familiar foe in Northern Iowa (9-4, 6-2 MVFC) to Hancock Stadium Saturday, Dec. 6, in the second round of the 2014 FCS playoffs. The game will be streamed live on ESPN3, with Shawn Kenney and Al Groh on the call.
THE SERIES
The Redbirds and the Panthers will meet for the 32nd time on the gridiron on Saturday. UNI leads the all-time series 20-11, and the teams have split their last six match ups. The Panthers handed the Redbirds their lone loss of the season on Nov. 1, a 42-28 defeat at the UNI-Dome that featured two special teams touchdowns by UNI that ended up being the deciding factor in a game highlighted by a thrilling second half.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Redbird quarterback Tre Roberson saved perhaps his best performance of the season for when it counted the most. The junior transfer from Indiana was named the MVFC Newcomer of the Week for the third time this season and also earned MVFC Offensive Player of the Week honors, after he accounted for over 400 yards of total offense and four touchdowns in leading ISU to a 44-29 victory over SIU in the regular-season finale and a share of the MVFC title.
THE COACHES
Illinois State: Brock Spack (Purdue, 1983) is in his sixth season as the head coach at Illinois State (43-25). Spack was named the 2014 MVFC Coach of the Year and an Eddie Robinson Award Finalist, after he led the Redbirds to a school-record 10 wins in the regular season and a share of their first conference title since 1999.
Northern Iowa: Mark Farley (Northern Iowa, 1986) is 120-55 in his 13th year as the head coach at his alma mater. Farley is the MVFC's all-time coaching wins leader with 73 league victories and has led the Panthers to seven conference championships, eight playoff appearances and 10 top-25 final rankings.
REDBIRDFOOTBALL IN THE FCSPLAYOFFS
- Fifth playoff appearance (1998, 1999, 2006, 2012)
- Three-time FCS quarterfinalists (1999, 2006, 2012)
- 4-4 overall record in FCS playoff games in school history
- The 1999 team advanced to the FCS semifinals, with wins at home over Colgate and on the road against Hofstra. ISU eventually fell to eventual national champion Georgia Southern by a score of 28-17.
THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT
- The University of Northern Iowa is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and has an enrollment of 12,273 students. The Panthers are members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference and play their home games at the UNI Dome (16,324).
- The Panthers finished the regular season with an 8-4 overall record and a 6-2 record in MVFC play, which put UNI all alone in third place in the league standings.
- Heading into the month of November, the Panthers were 4-4 with their playoff hopes dangling in the balance. However, beginning with a 42-28 defeat of the Redbirds on Nov. 1, the Panthers have won five-consecutive games including a win over then No. 1 ranked North Dakota State on Nov. 8.
- UNI landed 13 student-athletes on the 2014 Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Conference teams announced Monday, highlighted by seniors David Johnson and Xavier Williams, who each earned first-team honors for the second season in a row.
- Last weekend in the first round of the FCS playoffs, the Panthers dominated Stephen F. Austin, 44-10, at the UNI-Dome. Johnson led the Panthers with 23 carries for 152 rushing yards with three rushing touchdowns, and added two catches for 84 yards and a touchdown.
- UNI has made 17 NCAA FCS playoff appearances and has won 20 playoff games. UNI has won at least one playoff game in 13 of its 17 playoff appearances, including a playoff win in nine of its last 10 appearances.
THE LAST TIME THEY MET (NOV. 1, 2014)
In a battle between two of the top defenses in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, No. 6 Illinois State fell to No. 22 Northern Iowa, 42-28, at the UNI Dome. ISU suffered its first loss of the year, after trying to become the first team in school history to start a season 8-0. Two special teams touchdowns from the Panthers ended up being the deciding factor in a game highlighted by a thrilling second half. ISU running back Marshaun Coprich was a bright spot in the defeat, as he ran for 166 yards and scored three touchdowns on 27 carries, and also produced his eighth-consecutive 100-yard rushing performance.
FAMILIAR FOES
For the third time in playoff history, the Redbirds will face off against a team they had played during the regular season. In 2006, ISU faced off against a pair of teams they had met earlier in the year in Eastern Illinois and Youngstown State, and in 2014 the 'Birds will take on MVFC foe Northern Iowa for a second time. UNI is not as familiar with this concept, as the Panthers have never played a team from the MVFC in the playoffs in program history.
HISTORY IS MADE
Thanks to an outstanding offensive effort that put points on the scoreboard early, the Redbirds jumped out to an early lead and never looked back in a 44-29 victory over in-state rival Southern Illinois (Nov. 22). The win improved the Redbirds to 10-1 overall and 7-1 in Missouri Valley Football Conference play, which gave ISU a share of the conference title along with North Dakota State. It is the second conference title for the Redbirds in the MVFC, with the first coming in 1999 when the team won the title outright with a perfect 6-0 conference record.
DOUBLE DIGITS IN WIN COLUMN
For the first time in program history, the Illinois State football team finished the regular season with 10 wins, thanks to its 44-29 win over Southern Illinois. It marked just the second 10-win season in school history, with the 1999 team's 11-3 record still remaining as the standard bearer.
HE DID IT AGAIN
Junior running back Marshaun Coprich recorded his 11th consecutive 100-plus yard rushing game, finishing with 160 yards and two touchdowns against SIU (Nov. 22). He holds the most-consecutive over 100-plus yard rushing games to start a season and is one short of the record of 12 games of over 100-yards, set by Pierre Rembert in 2006. Coprich's 160 yards rushing also moved him up to No. 2 on ISU's single-season rushing yards list with 1,683, behind Rembert's record of 1,743 yards in 2006, and his two rushing touchdowns upped his total to 21, which set a school record for single-season rushing touchdowns, passing the previous mark of 20 set by Toby Davis in 1992.
HOME SWEET HOME
When the Redbirds opened the newly-renovated Hancock Stadium last September, they knew they had a great new stadium to call home. Since that renovation, the Redbirds have shown their appreciation for the upgrade and ripped off a school-record 12 straight wins. The streak bests the longest previous home winning streak set from 1998-2000. That streak started with a 48-14 win over Youngstown State (Nov. 14, 1998) and came to an end after a 14-12 defeat at the hands of the Penguins (Oct. 7, 2000).
TO BE THE BEST, YOU HAVE TO BEAT THE BEST
The road to 10-1 for Illinois State has not been easy, as the Redbirds have had to knock off four teams ranked in the FCS polls. The Redbirds have earned wins against No. 24 Eastern Illinois (34-14), No. 22 South Dakota State (45-10), No. 20 Indiana State (20-18) and, most recently, No. 10 Youngstown State (35-21) on Nov. 8. In addition, ISU's only loss was to No. 22 Northern Iowa, who knocked off No. 1 North Dakota State (Nov. 8) the following week.
SPACK EARNS VALLEY FOOTBALL COACH OF THE YEAR HONORS
Illinois State was picked to finish sixth in the MVFC preseason poll in August, but head coach Brock Spack had different plans for his squad. After leading the Redbirds to a 10-1 record and a share of the MVFC regular-season title, Spack was selected as the 2014 MVFC Coach of the Year. Spack becomes just the second Redbird mentor to earn Coach of the Year honors, joining Todd Berry who won the award in back-to-back seasons in 1998 and 1999.
17 REDBIRDS NAMED TO All-MVFC TEAMS
A total of 17 Illinois State football players were named to the All-Missouri Valley Football Conference teams, highlighted by six MVFC First-Team selections, which included MVFC Offensive Player of the Year Marshaun Coprich and MVFC Newcomer of the Year, Tre Roberson. Joining Coprich and Roberson on the first team were senior offensive tackle Jermaine Barton, senior long snapper Chris Highland, junior defensive end Teddy Corwin and junior middle linebacker Pat Meehan. Six seniors were among the seven players selected to the All-MVFC Second Team. Wide receiver Lechein Neblett, tight end James O'Shaughnessy, offensive lineman Rocco Ammons, defensive tackle Bradon Prate, defensive back Mike Banks and punter CJ Laros all earned Valley Football plaudits in their final seasons, and they were joined by freshman fullback Bryce Holm. Senior offensive tackle Michael Liedtke, safety Dontae McCoy and return specialist Tevin Allen were also named All-MVFC Honorable Mention selections in the annual vote, along with junior defensive end David Perkins.
TRIO OF REDBIRDS NAMED TO THE MVFC ALL-NEWCOMER TEAM
MVFC Newcomer of the Year Tre Roberson led a trio of Redbirds named to the MVFC All-Newcomer Team. Roberson was joined by sophomore linebacker and Oregon transfer Oshay Dunmore and redshirt freshman defensive back Dion Starnes on the annual list of first-year stars in the league.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
With a pair of senior wide receivers on the field, it can be very difficult for defenses to figure out whom to focus on and shut down. Southern Illinois (Nov. 22) had a hard time, as seniors Cameron Meredith and Lechein Neblett each finished the game with over 100 yards receiving and combined to catch three touchdowns in the 44-29 win. Meredith recorded his third-straight 100-plus yard receiving performance with a career-high 182 yards on eight catches, including a 30-yard touchdown catch to start the scoring. Neblett added 125 yards on four grabs and tied a season high with two touchdowns, recording his third 100-plus-yard performance of the game.
THIRD TIME WAS THE CHARM!
The Redbirds headed into the regular-season finale with Southern Illinois (Nov. 22) with an opportunity to earn at least a share of the MVFC title for the third time in the last four seasons. ISU had been in position to win a conference crown in the final game of the regular season twice before, with losses in 2011 to UNI and 2012 to North Dakota State ruining the Redbirds' championship hopes. The 44-29 win against SIU the Redbirds their second title in league history, after winning the championship outright in 1999 with a perfect 6-0 mark in conference play.
